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• It should wear slowly
• It should not contribute to anilox wear or damage
• It should be of good value
• It should be consistent from blade to blade, and batch to batch
Next, we can establish how the perfect doctor blade would obtain
these ideal attributes:
• Precisely meter ink: The physical dimensions must be precise.
Tolerances, like width consistency or straightness over length,
consistency of thickness, rigidity and its memory—the ability to
maintain its original flatness will determine its ability to engage
an anilox uniformly. These factors will determine how small a
contact area is achieved and maintained for extended periods
• Wear resistance: This is determined by chemical ingredients and
treatments which dictate the size, distribution and hardness of
the particulate and matrix making up the material. Hardness
should not be the deciding factor to blade life
• Anilox wear or damage: A refined micro structure, even particu-
late distribution and precise dimensions
• Value: The blade’s ability to do its job
• Consistency: Blades that are consistent come from reliable man-
ufacturers with quality supply sources
NEW BLADE TECH
New grades of steel have been recently introduced to the market in
North America and Europe. They are developed specifically to meet
the requirements of high speed, total HD flexo. The carbide elements
of these new grades are far more refined and evenly distributed. Some
of the micro particulate, while harder than in conventional steels,
achieves greater wear resistance, while at the same time is less abrasive
to the anilox surface, even at high line counts. These grades are better
suited to resist wear, while metering white and metallic inks as well.
PRECISION TIP
When combining a new technology steel grade with a precision
metering tip, HD flexo printers report holding a clean dot for multiple
days while running at 2,000 fpm.
While doctor blades were often the overlooked element in the flexo
process, they aren’t anymore. Blades have more to do with the success
of the process than ever. Armed with the right blade, a flexo printer
can totally eliminate process waste like UV spitting, streaks, anilox
damage, back doctoring, etc.; and do so while running at very high
speeds for longer periods.
Coarsely structured, poorly finished doctor blades have always
contributed to accelerated anilox wear. In the past, when aniloxes
were changed with each job, the speed of wear was not as obvious. In
today’s environment, overall anilox wear has become more obvious.
Even if you’re not operating at total HD flexo level, the advantages
of new doctor blade technology can help your pressroom in many
ways. The value of high performance doctor blades is easy to recog-
nize and the per inch cost is easy to justify. Most pressrooms already
running these new technology blades are operating with less waste
and downtime and have lowered their annual associated costs by
using fewer blades.
It may make sense to ask your ink or anilox supplier if switching to
new HD flexo blades will make sense for your pressroom. n
About the Author: Paul Sharkey is president
and founder of FLXON Inc., a leading advocate
for driving waste out of the flexo print process.
FLXON has worked together with SWEDEV
AB—who designs, engineers and manufactures
SWEDCUT doctor blades—to develop new
grades of HD blades, including MFLEX PLUS.
To learn more about HD Flexo and precision
HD Flexo Doctor Blades, contact Paul Sharkey
at psharkey@flxon.com.
The new HD steel matrix, on the left, shows a clear difference from a conventional steel matrix, on the right.
Photos courtesy of SWEDEV AB
68 FLEXO | JUNE 2015